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No Let Down...HELP

Hello,

I am posting here to actually help my best friend. Being a mom of twins and having breastfed them, I know it can be very frustrating but I told here someone has to have an idea on what to do. So here I am.

My friend just had baby #4 (last week)and has BF alll her children but this one is the most challenging. Her little girl was born with Downs Syndrome. She is still in the hospital and is having some latching issues. So my friend is pumping every 2 hrs when she is away from her but she only gets 1oz on each side. She said she isn't having any let down at all. She isn't engorged yet but her breast are very full. She has had probelms before with no let down but it would resolve on its own eventually. But she never had to pump either and her other kids were healthy.

She has spoken to a # of Lactation Consultants and nobody seems to know what to do. SHe has tried all the relaxing things, heat, massage, etc and it doesn't help. She is so upset (which doesn't help) more so about the let down then the DS itself. I just want to help anyway I can and since she is so busy I thought I would try here. I also emailed our local LLL but I haven't recieved anything back yet.

Re: No Let Down...HELP

Michelle,
It's wonderful that your friend has you to help her and support her through this difficult time! Know that let down is a conditioned reflex that can be inhibited by stress. It can be difficult for a mom who is exclusively pumping to make a connection between the pump and her baby. Can your friend pump while holding or being near baby? This is antedoctal but when I had problems pumping once I took a few drops of Bach's Rescue Remedy under my tongue and viola, issue resolved. I don't know if the Rescue Remedy actually worked or if it was simply psychological on my end but really, who cares? LOL It worked and that's all that mattered. I gave you the link just so you could see what the Rescue Remedy is and looks like. I was able to find a bottle in a local whole foods store.

Re: No Let Down...HELP

Hi there, I also wanted to say that it was a long time after ds was born before I "felt" my let down. Now even at 10 months it is so noticeable! Maybe in a few days she will feel it? Best of luck and congrats to your friend

Re: No Let Down...HELP

Brittan brings up a good point that I forgot to mention. It's quite possible that your friend simply doesn't feel her let down -- not all women do and it can take some time after birth to feel it. It sounds like she's yielding quite a bit of milk for only being a week post-partum.

Re: No Let Down...HELP

thats what I was thinking also that it sounded like she was able to pump lots of milk for a mom that was just starting.
I found with each baby that I had I felt let down less. I don't know why, or if that would be true for her too.

Re: No Let Down...HELP

I'm one of those that can't feel let down... every great once in a while I'll get an itchy tingly feeling, but I can't feel it at all beyond that. The only reason I know my baby is getting anything is the swallowing and milk dribbles when she pops off!